The first thing I want to talk about in the great game that is Control is the combat. Control is a game which is defined by its combat and let me tell you, it is varied, fun, and once you get into the flow of the game, very challenging. You start the game with a simple gun. But saying the gun is simple is far from any semblance of truth. The “gun” has five different “forms”, and for each “form” one to three additional “mods” may be added which modify it’s function in a myriad of ways. There are “mods” for more damage (of course), “mods” which give you more power, and “mods” that give an extra bonus for headshots, among other things. Saying that it’s just a “gun” is like saying an antique hand made professionally forged and honed Samurai sword is just a knife. But I digress. When you start the game, the gun is indeed just a gun. As the game progresses Jesse Faden, your alter ego, gains “powers”. From telekinetic powers which allows her to launch just about anything in the environment, to MKULTRA level mind control that will allow her to “seize” an enemy combatant and force them to fight on her side, to unreal ground slams, an interesting and upgradable shield mechanic, and of course a standard palm thrusting melee punch, if that’s your thing. Eventually you will gain the ability of levitation which takes the game to a whole new level, both literally and figuratively. It is a truly rewarding dopamine surge as Jesse gains new abilities and continues to explore the Oldest House.

Now let’s talk about those abilities for second. It seems that throughout my gameplay I was always one upgrade ability or one weapon “form” away from making the game “easier” for me. There were a few battles which had me going many rounds to defeat certain bosses or levels. For me the game paced nicely as those bosses and levels sometimes needed me to approach them many times to ultimately “pass” or “beat” a particularly tough situation. As the game progressed I received more abilities and offensive capabilities to match (sometimes and/or somewhat), not but so much so to make as to take away that “challenging” portion of the game. Yeah, the pacing in Control is definitely a highpoint. I never thought about it. I just kept grinding it out till I was able to beat the boss or level, as it should be.

When I downloaded Control through my XBox Game Pass subscription, I downloaded the “Ultimate Edition” which included a couple more storylines, more missions, board countermeasures (additional missions), and more information and lore through the DLC’s (downloadable content) which of course also include collectibles as far as documents and correspondence are concerned. Additional lore and background about the Control universe, which some might find exciting to know, is the same universe Alan Wake lives in. Indeed there’s files and information on Alan Wake and if that’s another Remedy game you’ve enjoyed, it will be with great revelation you discover files and other background information to augment the apparently expanding universe Remedy and 505 Games continue to create. In fact one of the DLC’s is dedicated to the Control/Alan Wake tie in and the other DLC goes deeper into the “Oldest House” and its history and continued lore about the games.

The other thing I’d like to mention about Control is that from the start, it was simply another game I added to my “rotation”. Currently I am playing Resident Evil 3 & 4 (the remakes), Kona II: Brume, a few of the later Lara Croft games (Rise of the TR, Shadow of the TR, TR 20th Anniversary Edition), Amnesia: The Bunker, and Lies of P. I have a short attention span so might play a level or 2 of a certain game before moving to the next game, or YouTube, or whatever. But I am enjoying Control so much that it is currently the only game I am playing for no other reason than it seems to be the most engaging, challenging, and downright fun game that I just can’t put down at the moment. ‘Nuff said.

** Control Content Roadmap lifted from IGN Website. Please visit for more information.